Apple förlorar ytterligare mål i Storbritannien, denna gång mot Samsung [notis]

Postat:
16:58 - 2012-07-09
Skribent:
| Björn E
Kommentarer:
66

Apple har inte haft något större tur på sistone när det gäller rättegångar i Storbritannien. Förra veckan förlorade de ett rättegång mot HTC där domaren till och med ansåg att flera patent var ogiltiga och idag så förlorade man ett mål mot Samsung gällande utseendet på Galaxy tab.

Rättegången handlade om Samsung ville att domstolen skulle visa att Galaxy Tab 10.1, 8.9 och 7.7 inte inkräktade på mönsterskydden för Apple iPad. Eftersom Apple redan hade dragit Samsung inför rätta i andra länder valde man själv att be domstolen ta upp ärendet för att förekomma en stämning från Apple. Idag så kom då utslaget och det ska nog ses som en stor vinst för Samsung. De själva gav följande uttalande:

”In a ruling on July 9, 2012, the High Court of England & Wales sided with Samsung that the designs of the Galaxy Tab series of products are ’different’ from an Apple tablet design, and do not infringe Apple’s Registered Community Design No. 181607-0001. Samsung products subject to this trial were the Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Galaxy Tab 8.9, and the Galaxy Tab 7.7.

”Samsung had requested this voluntary trial in September 2011, in order to oppose Apple’s ongoing efforts to reduce consumer choice and innovation in the tablet market through their excessive legal claims and arguments. Apple has insisted that the three Samsung tablet products infringe several features of Apple’s design right, such as ’slightly rounded corners,’ ’a flat transparent surface without any ornamentation,’ and ’a thin profile.’

”However, the High Court dismissed Apple’s arguments by referring to approximately 50 examples of prior art, or designs that were previously created or patented, from before 2004. These include the Knight Ridder (1994), the Ozolin (2004), and HP’s TC1000 (2003). The court found numerous Apple design features to lack originality, and numerous identical design features to have been visible in a wide range of earlier tablet designs from before 2004.

”Equally important, the court also found distinct differences between the Samsung and Apple tablet designs, which the court claimed were apparent to the naked eye. For instance, the court cited noticeable differences in the front surface design and in the thinness of the side profile. The court found the most vivid differences in the rear surface design, a part of tablets that allows designers a high degree of freedom for creativity, as there are no display panels, buttons, or any technical functions. Samsung was recognised by the court for having leveraged such conditions of the rear surface to clearly differentiate its tablet products through ’visible detailing.’

”Samsung welcomes today’s ruling by the High Court, which affirms Samsung’s commitment to protect its own intellectual property rights while respecting those of other companies. Samsung believes Apple’s excessive legal claims based on such a generic design right can harm not only the industry’s innovation as a whole, but also unduly limit consumer choice.”

Något som inte togs upp i detta uttalande men som vissa andra bloggar bestämt sig att koncentrera sig på är ett uttalande från domaren där han förklarade att Galaxy Tab inte är lika ”cool” som iPad och inte har samma ”understated simplicity”.

Apple kontaktade Pocket-Lint efter att deras artikel hade lagts upp med detta uttalande:

”It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging. This kind of blatant copying is wrong and, as we’ve said many times before, we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.”

Med andra ord – vi kan vara säkra att Apple driver saken vidare.

Källa: Pocket-Lint